Supporting bracket



April 22, 1941. H. c. COHEN T AL SUPPORTING BRACKET Filed Jan. 13, 1959 INVENTORS.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 22, 1941 SUPPORTING BRACKET Barry 0. Cohen and Alfred 1. Cohen, Pittsburgh, and Charles M. Tursky, Turtle Creek, Pa.; said Tursky assignor to said H 0. Cohen and iaid Alfred I. Cohen jointly, both of Pittsburgh,

Application January 13, 1939, Serial No. 250,744

13 Claims.

This invention relates generally to supports and more particularly to supporting brackets for holding decorative material.

These supporting brackets may be advantageously employed {or draping cloth, paper, Cello.. phane or other suitable material for decorative purposes used in producing displays, screens, curtains, draperies or other similar applications. If the material used is cloth it may be employed for preventing reverberation of sound.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a pre-formed bracket arranged to support material in a decorative fashion.

Another object is the provision of a two-part bracket for supporting decorative material.

Another object is the provision of a bracket comprising duplicate interengaging members arranged to receive decorative material therebetween and arrange the same into a desired folded characteristic.

Another object is the provision of a pair of identical brackets each having a series of clamping members arranged to be interengaged for holding decorative material.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawing practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention are shown wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a stamped bracket prior to the bending and forming operation.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a bracket member.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fixed bracket member mounted on a base.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the fixed bracket member with a removable bracket member inter.

engaged therewith showing the interengaged clamping portions. I

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a pair of interengaged bracket members having intermediate sections of different shapes,

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing two bracket sets mounted on a frame with decorative material supported therebetween forming a corrugated characteristic.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a clamp member made of wood or other suitable material.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a clamp member made of plastic material such as a synthetic resin.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing, It represents a bracket member which is preferably made from a strip of metal because of its flexibility of application and simplicity in manufacture. As shown in Fig. 1 the bracket is stamped from a strip of the desired width, producing a body portion il and a series of individual T-shaped extensions [2 on one side thereof and connected to the body portion by ,the necks I3. A relatively sharp hook member i4 is formed on the other side of the body of the strip directly opposite the center of the T-shaped portions II. A hole l5 may be formed substantially in the center of the body portion Ii midway between each hook. These holes may be employed for mounting the bracket by the use of brads or screws or otherwise securing it to another object or partition. However the bracket may be spot-welded to a flexible metal base I B after it has been shaped as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which case the holes l5 are not formed in the stamping operation and the spot welds are made at the same location which the holes would occupy.

When the bracket ID is shaped it appears as illustrated in Fig. 2. The body portion ii is formed by bending the strip transversely in alternate directions, producing substantially angles. The apices of the angles are positioned at the hooks I4 and the holes l5 making azigzag shape. The cars I 1 of the T-shaped portions l2 are bent in the same direction as the adjacent portions of the body of the strip and the intermediate portion is rounded to producers. substantially semicircular resilient. head with the ears as shown at [8. The necks l3 are drawn so that the convex surface of. the resilient heads l8 ploy decorative material which is made up in predetermined widths, in which case it has been found advantageous to fix lengths of the brackets so that they will be best suited for that particular material.

As stated above, these brackets may be provided with the holes I! so that they may be readily mounted or they may be riveted, spot welded,

soldered or otherwise secured to the flat metal base plate l8. This base plate may be made from material of substantially the same gauge as the. bracket and after the bracket is secured thereto it may be fastened to a fiat or rounded surfaceby means of the screws I! as shown in P18. 3.

The base plate l6 may be provided with hook members 20 which are preferably formed by striking up a V-shaped portion of the metal for holding cloth or other similar material while it is being positioned between the brackets. If the decorative'material is such that it cannot be held by a hook a small U clamp member similar to that illustrated at 2| in Fig. 5 may be used.

The removable bracket member 22 is a duplicate of the fixed bracket member. The removable bracket member may or may not be provided with the base I6 depending upon the effect desired for the border of the decoration. If the base It is used on the removablemember a fiat border is obtained and if the base is not used the corrugation of the removable member is exposed.

Either of these forms produce a neat appearing molding.

The spacing and the formation of the resilient heads I8 of the bracket members permit them to be readily interengaged when placed back to back as shown in Fig. 3. The spacing is determined by the included angle produced in the body portion ll between resilient heads I! and the resilient heads are formed so that the surface of the ears I! of one member engage the surface of the ears of the adjacent resilient heads of the other member with suificient pres sure to produce a clamping action therebetween. The depth of interengagement of the resilient heads is determined by the mating engagement of the body portions. However thesize of the resilient heads [8 on the fixed bracket member 1 maybe increased to produce deeper folds in the material with narrower troughs formed by smaller sized resilient heads on the removable member, thereby producing a none-uniform corrugation. This construction requires two different dies for making the different size brackets, whereas the brackets shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 may be made by the same die.

To interengage the resilient heads of the re movable and fixed bracket members the first resilient head on one end of the removable member should be inserted between the first two resilient heads of the fixed member, then the second, third and fourth resilient head. 01" theremlovable member should be inserted, and so on, each resilient head being individually and consecutively pressed in its socket in like manner until they are all completely interengaged. This practice should be followed whether the two Fbrackets are being interengaged alone or whether a decorative material is being placed therebetween. When disengaging the removable bracket from the fixed bracket the resilient heads should be pulled from their sockets one at a time progressively from one end of the bracket to the other.

In Fig. 5 the duplicate brackets 23 and 24 are provided with straight and curved intermediate sections 25 and 26, respectively. It will be noted --that the right end of the bracket is mounted on a curved surfa ze as indicated at 21. The intermediate sections break the uniformity of the corrugated pleats formed by the resilient heads I8. .An eflect similar to the straight intermediate portions may be produced by cutting off one or more of the resilient heads I! from the removable bracket and thus permit the material. to be drawn over the corresponding resilient heads of the fixed bracket. If one or more or the resilient heads II are removed from the fixed bracket the same effect may be produced by the corresponding resilient heads on the removable bracket.

. Thus by making slight variations in these interengaging brackets one is enabled to produce innumerable effects with the decorative material. The variations of these brackets such as those described, which produce different decorative effects, are so numerous, yet so apparent, that it is believed unnecessary to discuss them in further detail.

When made of metal these brackets may be chromium or nickel-plated providing av bright decorative molding. Again the brackets may be painted the same color as the decorative material which produces a pleasing effect. However if the brackets are employed as permanent fixtures in a room. wherein it is desirable to change the decorative material from time to time it is preferable to harmonize the finish of the brackets with the color scheme of the room and if the decorative material is removed the brackets take the plane of an ornamental molding. The finish of some metals such as copper, bronze, steel or aluminum, which are commonly used as fixtures in a room and which also serve as a decoration ar too numerous to mention and their choice for this application is a matter of taste.

When used in a home, reception room, displays or other similar applications where it is desirable that the brackets be removed from time to time it has been found preferable to mount them on a frame or a plurality of frames as a unit. In most cases a simple rectangular frame made of any suitable material may be employed. If used for supporting curtains in a home the frame may be removably hinged to the window with the brackets fixed on four sides of the frame so that the glass curtain or drape may be ar ranged ineither direction or along the lintel of a door or window to support a valance This same scheme may be carried out in many applications and it will be found easier to apply the material to the brackets when the frame to which they are secured is lying flat on a table surface.

A specific application is shown in Fig. 6 wherein two brackets are placed on opposite sides of a simple rectangular frame 28 which may be constructed from wood, metal or other suitable material. The resilient heads I! of the two sets of brackets are positioned so that they face one another and after the decorative material is properly positioned between the brackets the material is formed with uniform corrugations with rounded crests and troughs. To position the material between the brackets the removable brackets 22 are first disengaged from one of the fixed brackets. The material is then placed over the fixed bracket and fastened at the comer by the hook 20 or the resilient head 2|, whichever type is employed. The material is preferably cut so that it will extend beyond the bracket members as indicated at 29 so that it may be readily handled. The first resilient head of the removable member is then inserted between the first two resilient heads of the fixed member adjacent to the corner where the material is fastened to the base plate It. This firmly anchors the material. Working from this comer the material should be gathered over each resilient head of the fixed member to prevent it from being stretched out of shape when the resilient heads of the removable member are inserted progressively along the bracket. By properly gathering the material in this manner it may be easily spaced and kept straight as each individual resilient head is being inserted in its corresponding socket. However a pencil guide line or other similar marking,-

drawn or otherwise formed on the material, materially aids in keeping it straight.

After the material has been placed beneath the brackets at one end of the frame the removable bracket is pulled oil. the other end of the frame and the material beyond this bracket may be grasped and caught on each hook ll behind the resilient heads of the fixed bracket member. Care must be taken in aligning the decorative material between each of the oppositely disposed resilient heads to provide the proper spacing of the material between the resilient heads of the bracket at the other end of the frame. After the material has been properly hooked the removable bracket may be readily inserted. If the material is such that it cannot be readily placed on the hook-s l4 then it must be progressively clamped between the bracket memtrated on the drawing. The brackets thus form a molding which binds the ends of the screen formed on the frame.

By placing the brackets on the frame 28 with the resilient heads facing one another the corrugated pleats forming the screen will be rounded. If the brackets are placed with the body portions ll adjacent to one another the pleats will take the form of the zigzag body portion.

Fig. 7 illustrates a bracket made of wood, rubber, synthetic resin or other suitable material wherein the resilient head portions may be integral with the base 32 and are solid. A similar construction is shown in Fig. 8 wherein the resilient heads 33 are open or hollow and are formed by two fingers with their free ends spaced apart to make them flexible. These types of brackets may be molded and finished in various colors forming an attractive decorative molding. The removable brackets may be made of metal like the brackets previously described or of similar material as the fixed brackets, in which case they may be duplicates. v

Other forms and designs of these brackets are obvious and may easily be made without departing from the scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. Means for supporting fabric and other flexible material comprising a pair of elongated members arranged to engage the opposite sides of the material and provided with resilient arcuate heads arranged to interlock to hold the material in place. I

2. Means for supporting fabric and other flexible material comprising a pair of elongated flexible members arranged to engage the opposite sides of the material and provided with resilient arcuate heads arranged to interlock to hold the material in place. V

3. Means for supporting fabric and other flexible material comprising an elongated member arranged to engage the rear side of the fabric and provided with surface characteristics to produce folds and the like in the material, and a member to engage the front side of the material and provided with resilient arcuate heads arranged to interlock with resilient .arcuate heads of the first named member. I

4. Means for supporting fabric and other flexible material comprising an elongated member arranged to engage the rear side of the fabric and provided with surface characteristics to produce folds and the like in the material, and a flexible member to engage the front side of the material and provided with resilient arcuate heads arranged to interlock with resilient arcuate heads of the first named member.

5. A preformed bracket for supporting flexible material comprising a pair of strips having interengaging resilient arcuate heads arranged to hold the material therebetween.

6. A support for holding flexible material which comprises a two-part bracket having interengaging resilient arcuate heads for holding the material therebetween to produce the desired folded characteristics in the material.

7. In a flexible material support, the combination of a strip, a plurality of spaced resilient arcuate heads on said strip, a second strip, and a plurality of resilient arcuate heads on the second strip disposed in staggered relation with the resilient arcuate heads on the first strip, the resilient arcuate heads being arranged to frictionally interengage one another and support the material therebetween.

8. In a bracket for supporting flexible material, the combination of a pair of strip members, a plurality of spaced resilient arcuate heads on one of said members, and spaced projections on the other of said members disposed in staggered relation to said resilient arcuate heads and arranged to frictionally engage the resilient arcuate heads and support the material therebetween.

9, In a bracket for supporting flexible material, the combination of a pair of corrugated strip members, a plurality of resilient arcuate heads-on selected alternate bends of one of said members, and a plurality of spring resilient arcuate heads on selected alternate bends of the second of said members and disposed in staggered relation to the resilient arcuate heads on the first member permitting the resilient arcuate heads of both members to frictionally engage one another and support the material therebetween.

10. In a bracket for supporting flexible material, the combination of a pair of corrugated strip members, a plurality of resilient arcuate heads formed integral with selected alternate bends of one of said members, and a plurality of spring resilient arcuate heads formed integral with selected alternate bends of the second of said members and disposed in staggered relation to the resilient arcuate heads on the first member, whereby the corrugated strips may be moved into mating relation and the resilient arcuate heads of both members enter in frictional engagement holding the material therebetween.

11. In a bracket for supporting flexible material, the combination of a flexible flat strip, a corrugated strip mounted on said flat strip with alternate selected bends of the corrugation in transverse engagement with the fiat strip, a plurality of extensions on selected bends of the corrugations out of engagement with the flat strip, and resilient arcuate heads formed on said extensions producing sockets arranged to receive insertions for holding the material.

12. In a bracket for supporting flexible material. the combination of a flexible ilat strip, a corrugated strip mounted on said flat strip with alternate selected bends oi. the eorniaations in transverse engagement with the flat strip, a plurality of extensions on one edge of the corrugated strip adjacent selected bends or the corrugations out of engagement with the flat strip, resilient arcuate heads formed on said extensions producing sockets arranged to receive insertions for on opposed sections on one side or the irame, a plurality of spaced resilient arcuate heads on said strips, the strips and resilient arcuate heads provided with selected surface characteristics for producing folds and the like in the flexible material, a clamping member for each strip, and a plurality of spaced projections on said clamping members disposed in staggered relation to said resilient arcuate heads and arranged to engage the resilient arcuate heads to support the material therebetween. Y HARRY C. COHEN.

ALFRED I. COHEN. CHARLES M. TURBKY. 

